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Isaiah 2-4
New Living Translation
Isaiah 2-4
New Living Translation
The Lord’s Future Reign
2 This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
will be the highest of all—
the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
3 People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
his word will go out from Jerusalem.
4 The Lord will mediate between nations
and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
nor train for war anymore.
A Warning of Judgment
5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
6 For the Lord has rejected his people,
the descendants of Jacob,
because they have filled their land with practices from the East
and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do.
They have made alliances with pagans.
7 Israel is full of silver and gold;
there is no end to its treasures.
Their land is full of warhorses;
there is no end to its chariots.
8 Their land is full of idols;
the people worship things they have made
with their own hands.
9 So now they will be humbled,
and all will be brought low—
do not forgive them.
10 Crawl into caves in the rocks.
Hide in the dust
from the terror of the Lord
and the glory of his majesty.
11 Human pride will be brought down,
and human arrogance will be humbled.
Only the Lord will be exalted
on that day of judgment.
12 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
has a day of reckoning.
He will punish the proud and mighty
and bring down everything that is exalted.
13 He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon
and all the mighty oaks of Bashan.
14 He will level all the high mountains
and all the lofty hills.
15 He will break down every high tower
and every fortified wall.
16 He will destroy all the great trading ships[a]
and every magnificent vessel.
17 Human pride will be humbled,
and human arrogance will be brought down.
Only the Lord will be exalted
on that day of judgment.
18 Idols will completely disappear.
19 When the Lord rises to shake the earth,
his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground.
They will hide in caves in the rocks
from the terror of the Lord
and the glory of his majesty.
20 On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols
they made for themselves to worship.
They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats,
21 while they crawl away into caverns
and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.
They will try to escape the terror of the Lord
and the glory of his majesty
as he rises to shake the earth.
22 Don’t put your trust in mere humans.
They are as frail as breath.
What good are they?
Judgment against Judah
3 The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
will take away from Jerusalem and Judah
everything they depend on:
every bit of bread
and every drop of water,
2 all their heroes and soldiers,
judges and prophets,
fortune-tellers and elders,
3 army officers and high officials,
advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers.
4 I will make boys their leaders,
and toddlers their rulers.
5 People will oppress each other—
man against man,
neighbor against neighbor.
Young people will insult their elders,
and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.
6 In those days a man will say to his brother,
“Since you have a coat, you be our leader!
Take charge of this heap of ruins!”
7 But he will reply,
“No! I can’t help.
I don’t have any extra food or clothes.
Don’t put me in charge!”
8 For Jerusalem will stumble,
and Judah will fall,
because they speak out against the Lord and refuse to obey him.
They provoke him to his face.
9 The very look on their faces gives them away.
They display their sin like the people of Sodom
and don’t even try to hide it.
They are doomed!
They have brought destruction upon themselves.
10 Tell the godly that all will be well for them.
They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!
11 But the wicked are doomed,
for they will get exactly what they deserve.
12 Childish leaders oppress my people,
and women rule over them.
O my people, your leaders mislead you;
they send you down the wrong road.
13 The Lord takes his place in court
and presents his case against his people.[b]
14 The Lord comes forward to pronounce judgment
on the elders and rulers of his people:
“You have ruined Israel, my vineyard.
Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor.
15 How dare you crush my people,
grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?”
demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
A Warning to Jerusalem
16 The Lord says, “Beautiful Zion[c] is haughty:
craning her elegant neck,
flirting with her eyes,
walking with dainty steps,
tinkling her ankle bracelets.
17 So the Lord will send scabs on her head;
the Lord will make beautiful Zion bald.”
18 On that day of judgment
the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful:
ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces,
19 earrings, bracelets, and veils;
20 scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes,
perfumes, and charms;
21 rings, jewels,
22 party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses;
23 mirrors, fine linen garments,
head ornaments, and shawls.
24 Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink.
She will wear a rope for a sash,
and her elegant hair will fall out.
She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes.
Shame will replace her beauty.[d]
25 The men of the city will be killed with the sword,
and her warriors will die in battle.
26 The gates of Zion will weep and mourn.
The city will be like a ravaged woman,
huddled on the ground.
4 In that day so few men will be left that seven women will fight for each man, saying, “Let us all marry you! We will provide our own food and clothing. Only let us take your name so we won’t be mocked as old maids.”
A Promise of Restoration
2 But in that day, the branch[e] of the Lord
will be beautiful and glorious;
the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory
of all who survive in Israel.
3 All who remain in Zion
will be a holy people—
those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem
and are recorded among the living.
4 The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion[f]
and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains
with the hot breath of fiery judgment.
5 Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion
and all who assemble there.
He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day
and smoke and flaming fire at night,
covering the glorious land.
6 It will be a shelter from daytime heat
and a hiding place from storms and rain.
Footnotes
- 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish.
- 3:13 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads against the peoples.
- 3:16 Or The women of Zion (with corresponding changes to plural forms through verse 24); Hebrew reads The daughters of Zion; also in 3:17.
- 3:24 As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads robes / because instead of beauty.
- 4:2 Or the Branch.
- 4:4 Or from the women of Zion; Hebrew reads from the daughters of Zion.
Isaiah 2-4
New International Version
Isaiah 2-4
New International Version
The Mountain of the Lord(A)
2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:(B)
2 In the last days(C)
the mountain(D) of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;(E)
it will be exalted(F) above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.(G)
3 Many peoples(H) will come and say,
“Come, let us go(I) up to the mountain(J) of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(K) will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(L)
4 He will judge(M) between the nations
and will settle disputes(N) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.(O)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,(P)
nor will they train for war anymore.
The Day of the Lord
6 You, Lord, have abandoned(S) your people,
the descendants of Jacob.(T)
They are full of superstitions from the East;
they practice divination(U) like the Philistines(V)
and embrace(W) pagan customs.(X)
7 Their land is full of silver and gold;(Y)
there is no end to their treasures.(Z)
Their land is full of horses;(AA)
there is no end to their chariots.(AB)
8 Their land is full of idols;(AC)
they bow down(AD) to the work of their hands,(AE)
to what their fingers(AF) have made.
9 So people will be brought low(AG)
and everyone humbled(AH)—
do not forgive them.[a](AI)
10 Go into the rocks, hide(AJ) in the ground
from the fearful presence of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty!(AK)
11 The eyes of the arrogant(AL) will be humbled(AM)
and human pride(AN) brought low;(AO)
the Lord alone will be exalted(AP) in that day.(AQ)
12 The Lord Almighty has a day(AR) in store
for all the proud(AS) and lofty,(AT)
for all that is exalted(AU)
(and they will be humbled),(AV)
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,(AW) tall and lofty,(AX)
and all the oaks of Bashan,(AY)
14 for all the towering mountains
and all the high hills,(AZ)
15 for every lofty tower(BA)
and every fortified wall,(BB)
16 for every trading ship[b](BC)
and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low(BD)
and human pride humbled;(BE)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,(BF)
18 and the idols(BG) will totally disappear.(BH)
19 People will flee to caves(BI) in the rocks
and to holes in the ground(BJ)
from the fearful presence(BK) of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty,(BL)
when he rises to shake the earth.(BM)
20 In that day(BN) people will throw away
to the moles and bats(BO)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,(BP)
which they made to worship.(BQ)
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks(BR)
and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty,(BS)
when he rises(BT) to shake the earth.(BU)
22 Stop trusting in mere humans,(BV)
who have but a breath(BW) in their nostrils.
Why hold them in esteem?(BX)
Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah
3 See now, the Lord,
the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
both supply and support:(BY)
all supplies of food(BZ) and all supplies of water,(CA)
2 the hero and the warrior,(CB)
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner(CC) and the elder,(CD)
3 the captain of fifty(CE) and the man of rank,(CF)
the counselor, skilled craftsman(CG) and clever enchanter.(CH)
4 “I will make mere youths their officials;
children will rule over them.”(CI)
5 People will oppress each other—
man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(CJ)
The young will rise up against the old,
the nobody against the honored.
6 A man will seize one of his brothers
in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
take charge of this heap of ruins!”
7 But in that day(CK) he will cry out,
“I have no remedy.(CL)
I have no food(CM) or clothing in my house;
do not make me the leader of the people.”(CN)
8 Jerusalem staggers,
Judah is falling;(CO)
their words(CP) and deeds(CQ) are against the Lord,
defying(CR) his glorious presence.
9 The look on their faces testifies(CS) against them;
they parade their sin like Sodom;(CT)
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
They have brought disaster(CU) upon themselves.
10 Tell the righteous it will be well(CV) with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(CW)
11 Woe to the wicked!(CX)
Disaster(CY) is upon them!
They will be paid back(CZ)
for what their hands have done.(DA)
12 Youths(DB) oppress my people,
women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(DC)
they turn you from the path.
13 The Lord takes his place in court;(DD)
he rises to judge(DE) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(DF)
against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder(DG) from the poor(DH) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(DI)
and grinding(DJ) the faces of the poor?”(DK)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(DL)
16 The Lord says,
“The women of Zion(DM) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(DN)
flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
the Lord will make their scalps bald.(DO)”
18 In that day(DP) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(DQ) 19 the earrings and bracelets(DR) and veils,(DS) 20 the headdresses(DT) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(DU) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(DV) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(DW) and tiaras(DX) and shawls.
24 Instead of fragrance(DY) there will be a stench;(DZ)
instead of a sash,(EA) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(EB)
instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(EC)
instead of beauty,(ED) branding.(EE)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(EF)
your warriors in battle.(EG)
26 The gates(EH) of Zion will lament and mourn;(EI)
destitute,(EJ) she will sit on the ground.(EK)
4 1 In that day(EL) seven women
will take hold of one man(EM)
and say, “We will eat our own food(EN)
and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
Take away our disgrace!”(EO)
The Branch of the Lord
2 In that day(EP) the Branch of the Lord(EQ) will be beautiful(ER) and glorious, and the fruit(ES) of the land will be the pride and glory(ET) of the survivors(EU) in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion,(EV) who remain(EW) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,(EX) all who are recorded(EY) among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth(EZ) of the women of Zion;(FA) he will cleanse(FB) the bloodstains(FC) from Jerusalem by a spirit[c] of judgment(FD) and a spirit[d] of fire.(FE) 5 Then the Lord will create(FF) over all of Mount Zion(FG) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;(FH) over everything the glory[e](FI) will be a canopy.(FJ) 6 It will be a shelter(FK) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge(FL) and hiding place from the storm(FM) and rain.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 2:9 Or not raise them up
- Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish
- Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
- Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
- Isaiah 4:5 Or over all the glory there
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.